Director Abhishek Pathak has ruled out the possibility of a fourth instalment of the Ajay Devgn-led ‘Drishyam’ franchise, maintaining that ‘Drishyam 3: The Conclusion’ marks the end of Vijay Salgaonkar’s story. Despite the crime thriller’s strong theatrical run and growing audience interest in another sequel, Pathak believes the latest film provides a fitting conclusion to the much-loved franchise.
Abhishek Pathak explains why ‘Drishyam 3’ is the final chapter
In an interview with SCREEN, Pathak expressed hope that October 2 would continue to be celebrated as Drishyam Day, while reiterating that the team considers the third instalment the franchise’s final chapter. He emphasised that another film cannot be made simply because audiences want one, as the story must justify its continuation.“All of us believe this is the last part of the film. Obviously, the audience is loving it and talking about it. But ‘Drishyam’ isn’t the franchise where we can just decide to make another film. It’s very much dependent on the story, and the story has ended. I always thought the ending was very poetic. It’s a love letter to the franchise,” he said.
Fans want ‘Drishyam 4 ’, but the director wants to preserve the ending
Pathak acknowledged that several people have approached him with the possibility of a fourth instalment, pointing out that the franchise’s premise could potentially offer more narrative avenues. However, he believes the existence of further story possibilities is not, by itself, a reason to extend the franchise.“The closure is beautifully done. That’s what people liked about it. A lot of people are telling me there can be a part 4. If you get to it, there can be enormous amount of story to it, but that’s not the point,” the director said.He further explained that the team had to bring the story to a close at some point and felt the third film offered the right ending. With ‘Drishyam 3’ still drawing audiences to cinemas, Pathak urged the team and fans to appreciate the conclusion rather than push for another sequel.“We had to stop it at some point, and this was a beautiful ending to the franchise. ‘Drishyam 3’ is only in its second week right now. People are still coming to theatres in huge numbers. The second weekend was more than Rs 60 crore. That’s a figure too many films don’t achieve even in their lifetime. So, let’s not spoil it for them,” he added.
What is ‘Drishyam 3: The Conclusion’ about?
The latest instalment brings Ajay Devgn back as Vijay Salgaonkar, a man whose carefully guarded secrets come under threat once again when a determined Crime Branch officer reopens the case. Tabu, Shriya Saran, Ishita Dutta and Jaideep Ahlawat also feature in pivotal roles.The film has also received praise from Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, who headlined the original Malayalam ‘Drishyam’ franchise. Congratulating the team, he expressed appreciation for the way the Hindi instalment concluded its story.“I watched ‘Drishyam: The Conclusion’, and I am truly impressed with the way they have brought this much-loved journey to a befitting end. Congratulations to Abhishek Pathak, Kumar Mangat Pathak, Ajay Devgn, and the entire cast and crew on a job so well done,” he said.
‘Drishyam 3’ continues its record-breaking box office run
‘Drishyam 3: The Conclusion’ has emerged as one of the biggest box office successes of 2026. According to Sacnilk, the film collected Rs 501.80 crore worldwide in its first 12 days, including Rs 323.50 crore in India net collections. It opened with Rs 62 crore on its first day and went on to earn Rs 245.50 crore during its opening week.A strong second weekend further boosted its collections, helping the film become the highest-grossing title of Ajay Devgn’s career. It has also secured the position of the second highest-grossing Indian film of 2026, surpassing the reported lifetime collections of ‘Border 2,’ ‘Toxic,’ ‘Jana Nayagan’ and ‘Peddi.’